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Alarm Relay vs Xfinity

To help you find the Best Home Security Systems, TopConsumerReviews.com provides you with an in-depth comparison of Alarm Relay and Xfinity.

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Home Security Systems are more important than ever before. Crime is on the rise in many areas of the country. Over 2 million burglaries occur every year, with the average dollar loss over $2,000 - not to mention the potential harm to personal safety. Many experts point to the nation's current economic troubles and high unemployment as leading indicators for a continued rise in the crime rate.

Safeguarding your home is vitally important to the protection of your property and family. Properly placed exterior lighting and good dead bolts can help reduce your odds of being a victim - but unfortunately, an experienced criminal can generally get through nearly all locks within 60 seconds. As a result, most experts suggest investing in a home security system - preferably one that is monitored by a live service for
the utmost protection.

Home Security Systems Reviews

Alarm Relay offers remote home security alarm monitoring services at rock bottom prices. However a less than informative website makes it difficult to tell what you get for your money, and most additional services above the standard monitoring seem to cost extra.

The Alarm Relay website looks professional enough at first glance. Highlighted on the main page is the very low monthly monitoring cost of $8.95 a month, along with some industry accreditations including an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Alarm Relay has been in business since 1987 so their high rating and longevity lends credibility to their business model. However there are some other things we didn't
love
about the presentation of their home security products and services.

We wanted to review the various home security plans available to the consumer, so we navigated to the "monitoring solutions" page where there are options for residential plans or commercial plans. Clicking on the residential plans we expected to see choices between various levels of home security systems and services available, and the cost of each, like we do on many other home security websites. Instead
there
is a just a paragraph explaining that "our monitoring packages will bring you peace of mind". Nowhere could we review the actual monitoring packages to determine what services or equipment was included.

We figured we might find more information on the pricing page, but when we went there it gave us only one pricing structure, which is the $8.95 per month plus a $35 one-time administration fee. The only real piece of information we could find on this page was in the form of an asterisk which tells us that a requirement of the home security service is that it needs to be connected to a land telephone line. So we were
able
to figure out that the home security system is not wireless like some of the other systems we reviewed.

We then navigated to the "additional services" page where we found a list of services such as e-mail notifications, cell phone monitoring, internet monitoring and fire alarm services. None of these options say how much they cost, although there is a note that instructs you to call the folks at Alarm Relay to find out about adding these features to your monthly alarm monitoring package. With that said, we
know
that none of these options are included in the $8.95 per month fee.

As mentioned, Alarm Relay has a high rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been in business for a long time. It's entirely possible that a consumer could find a good home security system with Alarm Relay. However with no wireless home security option, no good information on their website to provide details on their services or technology, and an a la carte list of options that come standard with most other
home
security systems, we find it hard to give Alarm Relay a very high rating.

Comcast Xfinity, the well-known cable television, telephone and internet provider, also offers home security systems and alarm monitoring packages. Overall we found Xfinity's offering in the world of home security to be overpriced and less impressive than many of the other similar services.

We'll start with the positives and say that the Xfinity home security system offers some of the most modern features in remote home security today. All plans come with the standard professional 24/7 alarm monitoring, remote cell phone or laptop access to your security system, live video monitoring, even the ability to remotely control the lights and thermostat in your home through your favorite electronic device.
Fire,
flood and carbon monoxide alerts, easy to use touch screen controls and many other bells and whistles are available with the Xfinity security system.

The problem is that it's all quite expensive when compared to other similar services. The entry level package that is being offered for $24.95/month is only available for Xfinity "triple-play" customers, which means you must also purchase cable TV, telephone landline, and internet services to get that price. If you don't, the entry level package goes up to $39.95/month, with an installation fee that starts
at
$99. What's more is that the $39.95/month package includes bare-bones equipment with only 3 door/window sensors and 1 motion detector.

We would think most people have more than 3 doors and windows, and would require the next level package which goes up to $49.95/month and a whopping $399 minimum installation cost. Even then you still only get the 3 door/window monitors and 1 motion detector, but they throw in some video cameras for the live video monitoring and a thermostat/light controller. There is, of course, the option to purchase additional
sensors
or door/window monitors, over and above the cost of the package.

The security system page is just an add-on to the main Xfinity website, and it feels very much like an afterthought. There are no links to testimonials or reviews of any sort for their home security systems and most of the links lead you back to the standard cable TV or internet services for which Xfinity is widely known. In comparing the other home security companies we've reviewed against Xfinity, nearly all of
them
either offer a cheaper price, a better package of equipment, or both. It's hard to give Xfinity home security a very high rating when so many other home security systems seem to offer a lot more for the money. Plus, customers won't be forced to deal with yet another cable company and all that entails.

Statistics show that the majority of criminals will choose a home without a security system and bypass those better protected. Home security systems can vary greatly in protection and cost. Some home security systems provide free equipment along with a monthly monitoring contract, while others charge hundreds of dollars for installation as well as monitoring services. The best home security systems
are flexible with
or without
home phone line requirements.

Before reading any home security systems reviews it's important to be familiar with some important home security aspects and features. These include:

Equipment and Installation Costs. What does the company charge for the home security system equipment? How many sensors does that include? Is installation a separate charge?

Monitoring Service. Does the company provide a 24 hour, 7 day a week, live home security monitoring service that will quickly contact authorities in the event of a break-in?

Guarantee. Does the company provide a money back guarantee for their home security systems, or a warranty for faulty equipment?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best home security systems available today. We hope these reviews will help you find the right home security system to keep you and your family safe for years to come!

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